Almost
by Krikr
Summary: Once, long ago, they were friends. It slowly changed over the years. Over those years, they were times where he almost accidentaly killed Jack. Over the years, they became less and less accidental. Rated T for some swears.


**First, thanks to everyone who reviewed my previous story anonymously.**

 **No Dad:76 this time, instead have another 5 + 1 story, since I seem to get inspired easily to write them.**

 **I tried to do a mix of styles, tell me what you think. So here they are, the five times Gabriel Reyes almost killed Jack Morrison and the one time it wasn't an "almost".**

* * *

1) Death by explosive friendly fire

"Hostiles on the first floor!" Informed Jack into his radio from somewhere in the building

They had been called to defend the town from an Omnic attack and had been fighting the robots for the past hour. Ana was on top of the nearest hill, raining fire on any Omnic who wasn't taking cover. Reinhardt and Torbjorn were clearing the building in front of him and Jack the one to his left. Gabriel had been surprised by a few enemies and had been delayed.

"Repeat, hostiles on the first floor. Probably Bastion units, judging by their footsteps. Quarters are too cramped for me to take them all out, I need assistance."

Jack seemed more pressing. Glancing at the window above him where the mechanical footsteps were coming from, Gabriel threw one of his grenades into the room.

"Oh Shiiit!" shouted Jack just before the explosive blew up.

But it had exploded much lower than the room where Gabriel had launched it. In fact, it exploded in the same room where Jack was.

"Dammit." Cursed Gabriel as he ran into the house.

"Jack, Jack!" he shouted, wanting above all to hear his best friend's voice.

He couldn't have killed Jack, he didn't do that, this wasn't happening...

"Wow Gabe," came Jack's voice as he exited the room, bruised but not seriously hurt "was it because of that joke this morning?"

In normal circumstances, Gabriel would have laughed.

"Sorry. I don't know how it could..."

"There was a hole in the floor. Your grenade fell through it into the room."

"You're alright Jack?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Let's go kill some bots then."

* * *

2) Death by bad gun safety

If he had had to retire, Gabriel knew the only man he would have given the position of Overwatch's commander would have been Jack Morrison. Jack had a way with people that made them like him seconds after meeting him, he was a good soldier and tactician (Gabriel had listened to his advice more than once), was charismatic and kind while Gabriel knew himself to be somewhat irritable and often rude (he just didn't have the patience to deal with morons).

Really, if he had to choose a successor, Gabriel knew he would have chosen Jack.

The problem was that he hadn't decided to be replaced now.

While he could understand the UN's decision, it still hurt to be told to his face that they were relieving him of Overwatch's command.

Lost in thought, he didn't hear the footsteps and the approaching person calling his name, which is why when he suddenly felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, he briefly fell back into what the military had taught him: that someone grabbing you quickly and by surprise was an enemy.

He drew his shotgun, always loaded since that mission in Peru where he had been reduced to clobbering his assailant with an empty gun, turned around and pointed them at whoever grabbed him, finger on the trigger, ready to shoot. Only to realize it was only Jack.

Slowly, as to not make Gabriel accidentally press the trigger, Jack pushed the gun downward.

"Sorry." finally said Gabriel, "I was thinking. Didn't hear you coming and I panicked."

"Don't worry, I understand. By the way, I just heard someone call me Commander. Tell me this isn't true. They didn't do that, did they."

"Afraid they did. Guess I'm the one recieving orders now, chief."

"But we founded Overwatch together. You founded Overwatch!"

"It doesn't matter. As long as I'm still part of it, I'm happy. Say, why not go to the cafeteria and celebrate your promotion?"

"You're sure we should celebrate?"

"Just because my day is shitty doesn't mean we can't celebrate my friend getting promoted. I'm sure Ana, Torbjorn and Reinhardt aren't far. Let's find them."

* * *

3) Death by inaction

For the first time in many months, they were on an operation together. It wasn't an important mission even, Jack had just shown up at Gabriel's desk a few days ago, saying that it had been a while since they had worked together and that they should change that.

Jack regularly went on mission with newer members or those he hadn't worked with in a while. He also often changed team composition. He claimed it was to make everyone able to work with everyone. Just another thing that he and Gabriel differently. For Gabriel, once a team was made, the only reasons for its composition to change was that a member was either dead, crippled or retired.

Still, the mission was going well.

He had just finished the last group of hostiles when he saw Jack was about to step on a newspaper that was hiding a mine.

Gabriel had a sudden thought.

What if he didn't warn Jack? Surely if he was dumb enough to step on a badly hidden mine, he deserved it. And had done some pretty bad decisions recently, he was too much of an idealist for his own (and Overwatch's) good and the UN had given him his postion without any regard for what he might think...

Gabriel snapped out of it. He wasn't going to kill Jack just because he was too optimistic! Jack was one of his friends and simply considering the idea sickened him.

"Jack! No! There's a mine."

Jack immediately froze, feet still not touching the ground. Gabriel knelt, removed the newspaper and moved the mine away. That had been a ridiculous trap probably thrown at the last minute by one of their fleeing enemies. They had to find him.

"Let's go, there's still some left."

* * *

4) Death by murderous Moon gorilla

Gabriel has suggested that Jack be the one to open the rocket when they would retrieve it.

They had been sailing toward where the rocket had crashed into the sea for the past half hour, the rocket having landed relatively close to shore. Speaking of which, it had become visible a few minutes ago and they would soon reach it.

"Ready the crane!" shouted one of the seamen to his collegues

Sure enough the shuttle was soon hauled on the deck and Jack reached for the handle when the door opened.

Out of all the gorillas that were on the colony, the very few that would have been intelligent enough to operate a rocketship had either joined their brethren in slaughtering the scientists or had been killed during the outbreak. If Jack wanted to die, Gabriel would let him with only some regrets.

Out of all the murderous Moon monkeys that were on the colony, it was just Gabriel's luck that the only one who came to Earth was a peaceful one.

* * *

5) Death by fistfight

They had been sparring for a while now. those mandatory sparring exercises together were almost the only times where they saw each others. To his shame, Morrison had the upper hand. As he fell once again, Gabriel focused his thought on the man in front of him and on what reason he would have to want to beat him up.

How Morrison was still smiling at him, even after having taken Overwatch away from him, how Gabriel had been relegated to doing missions that, despite their necessity, nobody would ever know or thank him for. How everyone seemed fine with the idea.

Wrapped in his thought, he hadn't realized he had pushed Morrison to the ground and was now punching his face repeatedly. While he came back to his senses, he didn't stop punching his former friend's face. He could continue punching him until the man was bloody and even dead. But then what? What would he do? He would be immediately arrested and the others might emprison him forever.

His hesitation gave Morrison the brief respite he need to push Gabriel off him.

"Reyes! What the fuck was that?!"

"I got carried away. Won't happen again."

"It better be. Exercise's over."

Morrison left the room without looking back.

* * *

1) Death by firefight in the middle of an exploding building

Gabriel couldn't move. The fight against Morrison had taken way longer than he had thought. Instead of killing him and moving on to other parts of the building where the other agents where help Talon's soldiers kill them, the fight had dragged on and wasn't over when the explosives had destroyed this portion of the building.

It was only days later, when he had managed to transform into smoke, that he had been able to move out of the rubble. The Swiss HQ was empty. Despite the bombs and the attack, most of the building had remained standing, but he could see no lights were on. He floated away, he was done with Overwatch.

Years later, when Reaper would fight Soldier: 76, he would deem this day another failed attempt.

But the truth was that it had been a complete success.

Everything that had made Jack Morrison the man Gabriel Reyes was once, long ago, friend with: his optimism, his idealism, his trust that people had good in them, that he could truly made the world a better place, everything that made Jack Morrison Jack Morrison died the day the Swiss HQ exploded.


End file.
